Continuous Improvement: An Example in Fleet Management
Continuous improvement, a term often associated with jargon and specialized roles, has lost its true essence over the years. It has become confined to certain experts and programs, detached from its core meaning. However, in reality, continuous improvement is a mindset that can be embraced by individuals in any role within any organization. This article aims to shed light on the transformative potential of continuous improvement by sharing a practical example and highlighting its universal applicability.
In the realm of day-to-day activities, general processes, and non-production-related systems, grasping the concept of continuous improvement may seem far off. I’d like to share my personal experience to help show how we can look for improvement in any task or responsibility. It is important to note that my intention in this example was never solely focused on “continuously improving” the process; rather, it emerged as a natural outcome of adopting the mindset. While it is true that specific projects could have expedited the identification of these improvements, the reality is that dedicating a project for every aspect of a job would be impractical.
When I assumed the role of fleet and equipment manager for a substantial fleet of trucks and trailers, I was initially unfamiliar with many aspects of their management. The responsibility of handling vehicle registrations fell upon our accounting team. Every month, a stack of registrations, usually numbering between 12 and 20, would arrive by mail. When the employee in charge of this task was let go, I took on the responsibility.
The first batch of renewals that landed on my desk was decently hefty. While I had experience with vehicle registrations and renewals for my personal vehicles, I wondered if there was a streamlined process for handling commercial renewals in bulk. After some discussions, I discovered that the previous employee had made multiple monthly trips because the County Treasurer’s office would only process three registrations at a time. Considering the significant time required for each visit, this approach consumed hours each month. Prompted by this inefficiency, I decided to take a different route. Armed with the entire stack, I visited the County Treasurer’s office to see what could be done. Once I managed to make my way to the desk, the employees readily handled the bulk renewals without hesitation. This simple change marked a major process improvement: reducing the monthly trips and associated time expenditure.
Happy with the initial success, I continued managing the renewals and new vehicle registrations in the subsequent months. During one of my conversations with the county staff, a valuable insight come up. I could modify the renewal dates of vehicles during their annual renewal process, as long as I had the necessary documents at hand. Although I knew that this transformation would take a year to complete, I recognized the long-term benefits outweighed the initial effort. The aim was to reduce the frequency of renewals from once a month to once a year. And so, I embarked on the second improvement: consolidating renewal months.
As the months passed and renewals arrived, I noticed a recurring issue—a significant number of renewals were received for vehicles and trailers we no longer possessed, some of which we hadn’t owned for years. Oblivious to our fleet status, the state continued accepting payments and issuing tags. To address this, I developed and regularly updated a vehicle database that cross-referenced the incoming renewals with our current fleet information. By eliminating the unnecessary renewals, we saved valuable time and money in both the present and future. This became the third improvement: verifying work requirements to reduce unnecessary time and expense.
Finally, the designated renewal month, February, arrived, bringing with it a massive stack of renewals. Undeterred, I gathered the pile and headed to the County Treasurer’s office. However, this time, the experience was markedly different. The sheer volume of renewals posed a significant challenge. Seeking guidance, I asked how major fleets like UPS handled this task. I learned that these companies scheduled their renewals in the same month, dropping off the paperwork for the treasury employees to handle at their own pace. Inspired by their approach, we implemented the same, so that renewals could be handled asynchronously without me being present. This marked the fourth process improvement: embracing async operations.
Soon after, the state introduced an online account system for handling commercial vehicle renewals. While online renewals had always been an option, the cumbersome process made in-person transactions far more favorable. However, with the introduction of the new system, the possibility of streamlining the process emerged once again. I created an account and created a plan to use this online system going forward. Consequently, we only needed to handle new registrations in person, significantly reducing the time and effort required. This final improvement marked the fifth improvement: utilizing automation.
In retrospect, the changes implemented may not seem groundbreaking, but their collective impact cannot be understated. Through basic yet effective steps, we managed to eliminate hundreds of hours and unnecessary expenses from our annual renewal requirements. While this achievement may appear modest within the broader context of the business, it was a great step in a broader journey. More importantly, it highlights the power of the continuous improvement mindset. When embraced by individuals at all levels of an organization, such improvements have the potential to create a powerful cascade of change and efficiency gains. The ideas and ingenuity of those performing the tasks can outmatch any number of experts, ninjas, belts, or engineers.
Continuous improvement is not limited to specialized roles or confined to programs and initiatives. It is a mindset accessible to everyone, applicable to any activity or responsibility. The example here serves as a testament to the transformative impact of embracing this mindset. By continuously seeking improvements, no matter how small, we can unleash a powerful change throughout an organization.